


Are We Dead? (Sommes-nous mortes?)

by Astral_Bees



Category: Portrait de la jeune fille en feu | Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Genre: F/F, Lesbians, Oh, Oneshot, That's pretty much all, They Make Me Sad, also, and sorry if the title is off at all, another fix-it, but i didn't include her in this, but with some alterations, didn't really know how to fit her in, don't really know what else to say, follows canon for most of it, hey look, i love sophie, i used google translate because i do not know french, just love them, so i wanted them to be happy, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23610916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astral_Bees/pseuds/Astral_Bees
Summary: They fall in love, they can't be together, but what if they could?
Relationships: Héloïse/Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48





	Are We Dead? (Sommes-nous mortes?)

“Turn around.”

Héloïse’s voice sounded behind Marianne and for a second, she almost did. Marianne held back and turned her head towards Héloïse, not actually looking at her.

“No, come with me. I don’t want us to die,” her own voice sounded weak.

Silence followed her and she had a fleeting thought that Héloïse had gone back up the stairs, but she hadn’t heard any steps. The tears in her eyes threatened to spill over as she focused her gaze on the floor. It was too much having to wait for an answer. She wanted to know what was happening in Héloïse’s mind as they stood there, not together.

“We have to,” her words crashed over Marianne, filling her head with the sloshing of waves too loud to hear anything else.

Every part of her wanted to turn, to see Héloïse, but she forced herself forward. Marianne opened the heavy door and hurried through it before she could make things worse than they already were.

The years passed and the hurt began to fade, but Marianne never forgot Héloïse. She gave her attention to her students and watched as they drew her or the world around them. But she could always see the lady on fire that she once knew.

Marianne continued painting in her off time, trying even harder than before to practice with nude male models. She had a goal and she wasn’t going to let small minded men stop her.

Her painting of Orpheus and Eurydice was finished soon enough and then it was time for the showing. Standing by her art, Marianne observed the patrons wandering through the room. After a short exchange, she noticed the subject of another painting present. A subject she herself had painted. A subject she loved.

Pushing through the crowd, Marianne came upon the painting in question and saw a small girl alongside her mother. A small glimpse into Héloïse’s life. Her eyes traced the canvas and caught on the purple book resting in Héloïse’s hand, held open to page twenty-eight.

Marianne’s breath hitched in her throat as she processed what she was seeing. Page twenty-eight.

It was a while longer before she came across Héloïse again.

The orchestra swelled as Marianne stared across at her. Everything seemed so perfectly out of place. She just wanted to be next to her, but instead Héloïse hadn’t even seen her. The two of them were separated by the rest of the spectators and Marianne couldn’t think of how to get her attention. But then, Héloïse’s gaze shifted to Marianne’s and she froze. The tears wetting her face looked out of place as her expression shifted to one of surprise and then a sort of relief.

As the chords finished, Marianne made her way back out to the lobby. She craned her neck, looking for Héloïse among the throng of people. And in the midst of everything, there she was.

Marianne met Héloïse and she didn’t waste a single second, pulling her into a warm embrace that was long overdue. The two stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a moment longer before backing up to examine one another.

“Héloïse,” the name came out in a breath as she smiled softly.

Héloïse smiled back, a gentle expression had claimed her features since they had found each other.

“How have you been?”

“Good, comfortable. You were right about Milan.”

Marianne nodded slightly, never taking her eyes off of her.

“And your husband?” The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.

“He passed a couple of years ago, but I have been living alright as a widow. He was kind, but he wasn’t…” Héloïse’s voice trailed off at the end, her eyes focused on Marianne.

“I’m sorry for your loss. Maybe I could provide added help now that you don’t have a husband for support.”

Héloïse looked away for a moment before looking back to Marianne.

“I’d appreciate that, actually.”

And suddenly they were back in each other’s orbits. It was as if no time had passed, but there were things that proved it had despite them.

About a week after the orchestra, Marianne stopped at Héloïse’s house to drop off a book she had meant to lend her earlier. She found Héloïse sitting by a piano and joined her on the bench. A beat of silence passed between them before either spoke.

“Did we die?”

Héloïse turned to Marianne in surprise, but a calm overcame her as she settled into understanding.

“Did you turn?”

Marianne shook her head in response and Héloïse smiled. Her hand drifted over to Marianne’s and the two sat, staring at one another.

“Then, no. We are both right here.”

Marianne gave a wide smile and leaned in, connecting with Héloïse in the middle. The kiss didn’t last for that long, but it didn’t matter. They had time. They could afford to exist with each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you have a nice day and stay safe!! :)


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